MICK McCARTHY was cursing his luck at Lansdowne Road last evening after a late, late strike by Antonio Folha had deprived Ireland of the draw which would have been interpreted as something of a watershed for his re-built team.

The game was already in injury time and the Portuguese appeared to have run out of invention, if not ambition, when Folha conjured a goal out of nothing to reduce a crowd of 26,576 to incredulity.

The Irish defence was present in numbers when the ball arrived at the feet of the FC Porto player, but somehow the shot from 22 yards traced a path, via a deflection, between a thicket of players to beat Shay Given at his left hand post.

It was a cruel twist to a game which had provided ample vindication of McCarthy's bold vision of an Irish team finding fulfilment by placing the emphasis on possession football.

True, it held little of the passion of the European championship meeting of the countries in this same stadium a year ago, but that ought not be construed as an indictment of either Ireland's self belief or Portuguese commitment.

At times, the Irishmen moved the ball with a fluency which belied the notion of a patchwork team, containing only one survivor (Jeff Kenna) from the side which was lost without trace in Lisbon six months ago.

Taking on the opposition with conviction, they constructed some fine moves in the first half when the experience of Andy Townsend, Alan McLoughlin and Terry Phelan blended with the emerging talent of Gareth Farrelly to provide a broad platform for attack.

They never quite exerted the same authority in midfield after the break and yet were comfortable trading at parity until Folha chanced his luck with such spectacular effect.

Portugal, as expected, lined out without Paulo Sousa, Rui Costa and Luis Figo but still included the framework of the team they will take into action in the European championship finals in less than three weeks time.

To that extent, there was no disguising the hunger for victory and yet for all their clever injections of pace in their build up play, they never posed significant problems for the home defence after going close to scoring in the opening minutes.

That was down in the first instance to some solid performances by Alan Kernaghan, Kenna, Ken Cunningham and not least, Given in goal.

Given's earlier performances against Russia and the Czech Republic had hinted at a fine international career in the making and he embellished that reputation here with a couple of excellent saves.

There was rich merit too, in the contribution of Townsend who, leading by example, disrupted the Portuguese attack at source by his sheer physical presence. Pointedly, he produced the off the ball running which mattered, on a night when it required something exceptional to unlock the visiting defence.

If Townsend illustrated the value of maturity in an otherwise experimental team, his contribution was only marginally ahead of Tony Cascarino. Promoted to the target man role ahead of Niall Quinn, Cascarino reached back into the past for some vintage touches of skill which might have produced an Irish goal approaching half time.

Farrelly faded after a promising start to be replaced by Dave Savage and little went right for the other newcomer in the side, David Connolly.

Although he put himself about with some abandon, the Watford player got few chances to indulge his predatory instincts and on the one occasion in which sharp reflexes might have produced a goal was denied by the vigilance of the Portuguese goal a keeper Vitor Baia.

After claims for a handball offence by Oceano inside the Portuguese penalty area had been dismissed by the Swiss referee, Claude Detruche, the visitors produced the first example of the peace and perception which had ripped the Irish apart in Lisbon.

Teixeira Demas, Joao Pinto and Folha figured in a build up which gave the Celtic player Jorge Cadete a clear run at goal, but in a one and one situation, given was equal to the task.

Oceano's name had gone into the referee's book before Given again earned his keep by holdings a stinging shot from Paulinho Santos as Cadete converged for the scraps.

Ireland, to this point had not really threatened but then in a vintage spell approaching halftime they thrice went close to breaking the deadlock.

Townsend, running on to Connolly's flick, demanded a fine save of Baia in the 30th minute and then took the ball around the goalkeeper before running out of space and being denied by Helder.

A sharper reaction by Connolly might have produced dividends after a good opening worked by Cascarino, but the applause of the crowd as the players went in at half time mirrored the merit of a good Irish performance.

It was never quite the same thereafter, but still the Irish played with sufficient skill to earn a division of the points until Folha hurled his late thunderbolt.